Reborn
by RosettaPressta
Summary: Tragedy strikes and Edward is left alone but 50 years later the lives of three people get turned upside down and what is so special about Cara Lacey who seems strangely familiar? R&R please x
1. Prologue

**Prologue**

**1997**

I looked at her beautiful silky brown hair and ran my fingers through it so softly that she probably couldn't feel it; she turned and smiled at me in a way that made her brown eyes dance and warmed my forever still heart.

I loved her. Not just any love this was the one that needed a full on chorus of singing and dancing and cute animals and more dancing, but seriously we had a connection, bond even and I knew I would want to be with her for the rest of her life, even if it would not be long enough.

My head was filled completely of her and then it happened so fast, even for me. She turned to look at me; I will remember the way her face looked right then with so much love in her eyes and then she stepped back off the sidewalk.

The truck hit immediately.

I ran to her side, not bothering to slow my speed for the onlookers and fell to my knees at her side and lifted her fragile human head into my cradled arms, her eyes were open but she was gone.

My Bella was gone.


	2. The Accident

**Chapter 1**

**2047**

I had always been clumsy there had never been any doubt about that, my mom had always thought it quite a cute trait but for me it was damn annoying.

I was sat in the hospital cubicle awaiting my x-ray results to see how broken my arm actually was. I knew it was definitely broken I had broken enough bones in the past to recognise the signs; I cursed my father for passing on his lack of co ordination to me, of all the things I could have inherited.

In all my twenty six years I probably knew hospital procedures better than some of the doctors, I could only pray that this break wouldn't too severe and would be healed in time for the big day.

A doctor swept into the room holding a clipboard and a brown envelope containing, I assumed, my x-rays.

"Well Miss Lacey it doesn't look too bad but I think we will put it in plaster for the full six weeks just to make certain." I nodded. I knew what he meant; he wanted to make certain I didn't break it again or damage it further.

It was silly really, I mean regular people can fall off a relatively small ladder and not even bruise but not me, not Cara Lacey!

Finally I was plastered and ready to go home and he was waiting for me by the hospital doors. He smiled at me in his awkward way and I returned the same back and gestured to my newly potted arm. He held his arms out to me as I got closer and pulled me in for a warm familiar embrace, I breathed deeply and could smell his aftershave and the musty smell that clung to him from his old damp car but I didn't care because it made me feel safe.

"Let's get you home". He wrapped an arm around my shoulder and led me out to the car park where his 1967 MGB awaited us; he opened the passenger door for me which I found hard to get used because it was on the wrong side of the car!

I remember the first time I saw it I had laughed so hard tears came running down my cheeks, he had been offended at first and the hurt had physically stung on his face. I had never meant to be mean and really I wasn't it was just with all the rust visible around the wheel arches and the way the front left wing was blue and the rest of the car was white, it had reminded me of my own rusty Chevvy pickup truck. I knew then that I had found a kindred spirit.

He was so proud of it especially with it being of British import origin even though it always freaked me out that the passenger side was on the driver's side or at least where the driver's side should be!

He drove me to my little apartment and again came round to open the door for me; he was such a gentleman.

"You coming in for a while?" I asked him as I got out the car.

"Yeah sure but I can't stop long, I've got an early start in the morning" he explained and I smiled.

We took the elevator up the seven floors to my apartment and once inside he fussed around making sure I had a pillow to rest my arms and making me a hot chocolate, I really was so lucky to have someone who loved and cared about me as much as he did.

"Right, is that everything? Can I get you anything else before I leave?" He stood with his hands on his hips looking around the apartment.

"No I'm good thank you and you know you don't need to fuss, I'm a pro after all" I laughed and he rolled his eyes.

"Okay baby I need to get home now, early night and all that" he bent down to where I was sat on the sofa and kissed me softly on the lips before heading for the door.

"Ben?" I called after him and then waited for him to turn around "I love you".

"Love you too" he smiled back then closed the door gently behind him.

I snuggled contently into the plump cushions of my sofa, resting my arm carefully on the pillow Ben had placed for me, the television was on but I wasn't really watching it was just some old film and although I usually liked the classics my mind was just elsewhere. I was mainly thinking about the new house, it was beautiful and it gave me goose bumps just thinking about it, it wasn't that it was big by any stretch of the imagination but it was going to be ours and that is what made it special. That was where I had unfortunately broken my arm, I had been up a relatively small step ladder putting up some new curtains on large bay window when somehow my footing got lost and the ladders slid from under me. It's bizarre really because the ladders had non slip rubber feet but it had always seemed that fate was working against me in the accident stakes, although it had helped me to meet Ben so I can't say it's all bad.

I flicked through the channels on the TV and settled on the news, it looked liked there had been a few killings around town lately and they had reason to believe a serial killer was at work. I shuddered and got up to double lock the door, with my luck I refused to leave anything to chance! I will feel so much better when Ben and I are finally living together, not that it would stop a crazed serial killer but it's that whole safety in numbers thing that makes you feel more secure.

I switched off the TV with the remote control and laid down on the sofa, pulling the blanket I kept hung over the back of the sofa onto me. I could have gone to bed properly but there is nothing worse than a big empty double bed and I wasn't at work the next day so I didn't care if I didn't get a full nights rest. My eyes closed and soon I was in a deep sleep.

I woke and sat bolt upright running my only free hand through my hair which was now damp from extreme sweating. It was the dream again or nightmare or whatever you would wish to call it.

I'd had this dream on and off for as long as I can remember but no matter how many times I had seen the same things it still scared the shit out of me, maybe watching the news before I went to sleep didn't help either and only added fuel to the fire.

I laid back down once my heart stopped having palpitations and I had again checked to make sure the door was locked and the windows too. I managed to go back to sleep and this time it was dreamless.

AN: I've had this story in my head for a while and it wouldn't wait any longer so I decided to start writing it. I don't really want to explain too much as it will give away too much of the actual plot, but if you stick with it and keep reading I promise all will become clear and everything will make sense. It will only include mild references to the Twilight Saga storyline but will of course include a few of the original characters. I'm quite excited about this story and where it will be going and hope you will be too.

RosettaPressta x x

You can follow me on Twitter where I will update when I'm working on chapters and new stories as well as other stuff going on in my life, the link is on my profile.


	3. The Dream

Chapter 2

It was difficult to say when I first had the dream because I had been having it for as long as I could remember, the only difference being that as I got older the dream got more vivid and much more scary. It had never made much sense and I had been to dream and sleep specialists when I was younger but the only conclusion drawn was that I had an overactive imagination and that I would grow out of it but at 26 I was still waiting.

It always started the same and in the same place – woodland of some sort quite big from what I could gather. Then I would feel like I'm being watched by a thousand eyes but I couldn't see anybody or anything and then I would run, run as fast as I possibly could. I was being chased I knew that much but up until recently I never saw anybody or anything, a few months ago though I started to see more – I saw the eyes.

I saw crimson red eyes staring at me, they were so red that from a distance they would look black but as close as they were to me I could see the red fire in those awful eyes. I couldn't see a face, just the eyes and as awful as they were I was mesmerised by them and I couldn't look away.

It always ended with a feeling of dread and excitement and then I would wake damp from sweating. Ben was used to it now but it had freaked him out the first time I had the dream while he stopped over, apparently I yell out a lot and my arms thrash about but I don't have the dream too often so he is able to cope with it. He always holds me tight till my heart slows down and lets me lay on his chest and strokes my hair till I go back to sleep.

Ben loved to take care of people, it was a gift. I remember so clearly the day I met him, I had slipped on ice which wasn't unusual for me at all but I had landed quite badly and a passer by phoned for an ambulance. I had managed to hit my head on the concrete sidewalk knocked myself out, which was bad even by my standards!

I finally came to an hour or so later in bright white hospital room and stiff itchy hospital sheets and the first person I saw was Ben, he was like my angel looking over me although he wasn't of course he was a student doctor doing my obs.

I can't say that it was love at first sight or that he was even my type as he stood with his dark hair flopping awkwardly over his rounded glasses but I had to laugh out despite the headache from my earlier bump when he struggled putting my notes back onto the end of the bed. No matter how much he tried he just couldn't hook them on until he gave up and laid them at the bottom of the bed instead. He hadn't been aware that I was awake and watching him but my laugh had alerted him and he blushed a wonderful red in his cheeks and he moved his hair from his face and behind the glasses I saw the most caring eyes I had ever seen in my life and he had smiled at me in such a away my heart missed at beat. He had then attempted a graceful exit from my room but pulled the door open too fast and ended up giving himself a nose bleed.

Our first date had come soon after and he had blushed and stuttered his way through asking me, I'd said yes without even thinking we were just so alike with our awkward clumsiness and I felt comfortable with him, like he understood who I was – and he did. It was hard to believe that was five years ago now but nothing much had changed between us apart from the fact that he had now lovingly restored his MGB to its original colour of white so I could no longer laugh and I drove a much newer pickup truck, a new hybrid kind that worked mainly off electric and solar power but had gas as a backup. Only the material things had changed but us as a couple were very much the same he was my safety net and kept me sane especially through the nights I had the dream.

My Mom and Dad also loved him very much, he was like the son they never had so had fit in right away although I think deep down they wished I had found someone who was at least slightly more co ordinate than myself but it was only a minor floor, hey nobody is perfect after all.

I was sat under my favourite tree in the park, this is where I would sit when I wasn't working and I wasn't with Ben. I loved to watch the day go by, everybody rushing around, the joggers the dog walkers and the mums with pushchairs and toddlers in tow. It wasn't sunny today but the air was warm and it wasn't raining so I relaxed against the trunk of the tree and held my latest novel of choice in my spare hand and carefully rested my potted arm on top of my bent knee.

I didn't care much for the traditional old classics as they were called such as the Austen's or Dickens or such like. I always found their characters weak and too forgiving the women were always helpless fools who needed a man too much. I preferred to read anything more real to life whether it was a humorous chick lit book or a thriller anything would do I just read whatever my mood dictated but after last night's dream a light hearted romance was called for.

I could sit for hours reading and getting lost in my own little fantasy land, it was my escape from the real world just for those few hours I was the main character playing a part in a story and nothing else mattered.

I was still reading in my special place under the tree when all the little hairs on my arms stood on end and I shuddered almost like a cool breeze had swept over me – but it hadn't. The air was warm and still and I glance up from the page I was reading and saw him.

He was stood far away from where I sat but he was stood stone still staring at me – was he staring? It was hard to tell due to the dark glasses he was wearing. I quickly glanced around to see if anybody was nearby and there were a few people but no one was taking any notice of this man or was he a boy? It was hard to tell from this distance.

He made a movement as if he was going to walk over and I reacted by pulling my knees in closer to my chest, he stopped and turned away and quickly walked in the opposite direction.

How very odd indeed!

I looked back down to the page I had been reading but could not keep my concentration for long enough to finish reading a sentence. I looked up again and scanned the park looking for the mysterious stranger with the bronze hair and dark glasses but I couldn't see him at all, he must have walked extremely fast!

I shrugged and soon forgot about him and carried on reading until it was time to go and meet Ben at the hospital.

I stood outside the main entrance and saw Ben walking towards me he smiled and embraced me softly.

"So Cara what shall we do tonight?" he asked.

"I thought maybe I could cook for you at my place so you can relax after your hard day"

"But your arm!" he exclaimed pointing at my pot.

"I am a woman and can achieve anything! I thought you would know that by now!" I said playfully while rolling my eyes.

We laughed as we walked to his car.

"So how was your day?" he asked me as he drove through the rush hour traffic.

"It was okay I just went to the park." I shrugged "I had the dream again last night" I added.

"Did you see the..." he broke off

"The eyes? Yeah I did but nothing new just the same as always"

"You know..." Ben trailed off his sentence again.

"What?"

"Uhm I don't know it's probably nothing" I glared at him prompting him to continue "It's just that they seem to be getting more frequent now"

"Do they? I thought they were about the same"

"Well you have had the dream at least 3 times in the last month alone when it would be only 3 times a year when we first met"

"I suppose. I guess I hadn't thought about it much. Do you think it means anything?"

"Oh, I doubt it maybe it's down to the stress of the new house and all the planning you have been doing"

"Yeah I guess so" I replied. Stress related? That seemed like a good explanation, who needed specialists anyway!

* * *

**AN: Well I just couldn't wait to get the next chapter out and I hope you liked the little introduction of Edward into the story. I think I might do the next chapter in EPOV so we can see what he has been up to for the last 50 years.**

**If you read it please review so I know if it's worth continuing.**

**Thanks Rachael A.K.A RosettaPressta**


	4. The Park

Chapter 3

I stopped existing the day I lost Bella, I say 'I lost' because I blamed myself. I should have been looking after her better, I shouldn't have been so absorbed in my own feelings then I would have known and heard the truck coming towards her.

I fled soon after her funeral; I couldn't bear the sympathetic looks from my family and their sympathetic thoughts. I didn't deserve sympathy. Charlie's thoughts I could deal with because he also blamed me and always looked accusingly at me. And the pack? They also hated me and Jacob also fled away from the reservation and Forks, no treaty was ever broken over Bella's death but that didn't stop a near on war breaking out, it was nothing more than I deserved.

I considered going to the Volturi again and even made my way to Italy but I realised that was the cowards way out and I needed to suffer, I needed to be punished and being in a world without my love was the worst kind of punishment there is.

The real downside of being a vampire is the memories, for humans when tragedy strikes as time goes on the memories become fuzzy around the edges, it may take years but eventually it doesn't hurt as much as it once did. For me though, every memory of Bella and the time we shared and the accident were as fresh as the day they had happened, I lost a good few years in a haze of memories and feeding. I would check a newspaper once in a while to see what year it was but nothing interested me anymore, I knew Alice checked in on me once in a while to make sure I hadn't done anything too stupid but it had been probably 30 years since I had seen my family. Don't get me wrong I missed them terribly but I was so consumed with grief and guilt that I felt too ashamed to go back to them.

When I first left I we would meet up every year on Bella's anniversary and visit her grave in Forks but as the years passed we couldn't go back anymore due to never aging we couldn't risk anyone seeing us and asking questions.

I often pondered where she was now and if Carlisle was right about souls, I wondered if she ever saw me watching down from wherever she was. Maybe she hated me and blamed me too...

Vampires were not meant to feel regret due to being the selfish creatures that we are, but I did. I regretted being stubborn and not giving Bella what she desired – to be like me. If I had not been so moralistic she would be with me now and we would be happily living our lives together for the whole of eternity.

During those first few years - or the dark times as I prefer to remember them, I did some dark and terrible things, I hunted humans. I remember the first night so vividly in my vampire mind, I was angry. Angry at myself and angry at the world I was forced to exist in, there was no longer sun, flowers or meadows so beautiful instead it was dark, gloomy and full of hatred.

I heard them first then I saw them, a hooker, a woman with no respect for the body she was selling and the man, so smart with his city suit and Italian leather shoes. A man who wore a wedding ring on his left hand and pictures of his kids in his wallet, he willingly handed over a bundle of notes in order to fulfil his greedy filthy need.

Why did they deserve to live? What could they possibly bring to this world that anyone would miss them for?

I was a monster anyway so what difference would it make to act out the part. I landed without noise behind the woman as her head bobbed up and down between the man's legs, his eyes closed enjoying his money's worth.

A quick snap of her neck, so quick she didn't even have time to scream and I ran with her at such a speed that I was already leaping across roof tops before the scum of a man had even noticed she had stopped and was now missing.

I drained her body completely and it wasn't satisfying in the slightest with the taste of what I could only assume to be Heroin infecting her blood. I hated myself more after but it was no more than I deserved. I made decision to go after the ones that sold these disgusting drugs and also the pimps that made these women this way, nobody would miss them anyway.

These day though I tended to have what you could call a balanced diet, I mainly killed animals but from time to time if I came across somebody who I felt didn't deserve the life they had then I would take it. I was dammed anyway so what did it matter?

I knew my family would know about my indiscretions but I didn't care, I know they would be disappointed but I knew Carlisle and he would be hoping silently that I will get it out of my system and go back to them one day, maybe I will but it won't be anytime soon.

It had been 50 years since I last saw my Bella but this one particularly seemingly ordinary cloudy day everything changed for me.

I had been making my way slowly back towards the Olympic National Park, it had been years since I had been there but I was trying to wean myself off humans and back onto animals so figured it was as good a place as any.

For the last few weeks I had been stopping in Poulsbo WA. I couldn't face being to near Forks and I didn't fancy being in the centre of Seattle so Poulsbo was as good a place as any.

I had decided to take a walk through the Frank Raab Park almost to prove to myself that I had enough self control and in all honesty I was getting tired of hiding out in the shadows all the time. The worst place had been Egypt with its hot sticky sun, it was near on impossible to move around the place, plus my complexion had stood out among the locals even at night and what with their superstitious beliefs I couldn't hang around too long. I'd started wearing dark sun glasses quite often as my eyes were still tinged with red and they stood out too much among the humans and now that I wanted to get back to my vegetarian ways, drawing attention to myself was the last thing I wanted to do. Maybe when I had got myself better I will seek out my family again after all, I'm sure Alice saw that decision I managed to smile to myself.

I walked deliberately slowly scanning the day unfolding before me, everyone rushing around at nearly an inhuman pace, the area that was fenced off especially for dogs was quite full with owners throwing balls for their beloved pets. I made a detour away from that area though as I knew from experience the effect I had on those animals, much the same as the way the wolf pack feels about vampires and I didn't want to cause a scene, especially while I was feeling in an unusually jovial mood.

I spotted her immediately sat beneath a large Oak tree and I froze to the spot I was standing on. Her hair looked different, it was much shorter and she was sat reading a book with her arm in plaster. I continued to stare as I was afraid that she might disappear if I took my eyes off her for a moment and then it was almost like she knew I was there because she lifted her head and looked straight at me. Our eyes locked on each other for a few seconds that felt like eternity before she broke the spell and looked around her, was she looking for somebody else?

My body jerked a little, I was desperate to run over and embrace her with all my might, but what if she wasn't really there? Was she a ghost? I didn't know what to do so I turned and walked away from the figure of my past.

My Bella.


	5. Chapter 5

Chapter 4

I woke to a stream of early morning sun, shining through a gap in the curtains and lighting up the room. I turned over to look at Ben's sleeping form; he looked so different without his glasses on; less formal and even sexy even while sleeping.

I didn't have the dream last night which was a relief and I felt so much more refreshed even if I did have to work today but seeing as though I worked from home I wasn't over concerned and I had time to do some grocery shopping before I needed to start today. I glance back at Ben still sleeping and decided maybe breakfast would be a great idea too.

I walked just a few blocks away till I reached I small cafe I could get some coffee and some pastry that would start off the day just great. As I stepped inside I was sure I caught sight of the strange guy I had seen in the park on Saturday but when I looked again properly there was no one there, I was definitely ready for my morning coffee!

I carefully balanced my two drinks and the paper bag containing some breakfast treats and started walking back to my apartment, I glanced across the road and I saw him there stood staring as he did that day in the park. He was dressed casually in dark jeans and a dark jacket and leaning against a lamp post wearing dark glasses. I couldn't help but notice how still he stood as people rushed past him making their way to work or to school, he was like a statue. It was then I realised that I too had stopped walking and I was staring at this mysterious person who suddenly seems to be everywhere I look. I looked away and glanced down at the floor, embarrassed that he would have seen me gawping at him from across the street.

I sneakily stole another look his way and he was gone. I searched the street for him but there was no sign that he had even been there maybe I hadn't had as much sleep as I had thought! I hadn't even thought about that particularly part of the day in the park so I was at a loss as to why I was hallucinating about seeing this person with the bronze hair and sunglasses.

I continued my journey and shaking my head as I scolded myself for being completely insane especially as I still had the feeling of being watched. Jesus this guy is making paranoid – that is if he even exists!

I finally made it back to the apartment and Ben had not even noticed that I was missing so I carefully brushed his face and wafted coffee under his nose to rouse him from his sleep – which always worked a treat!

"I got some breakfast so wake up sleepy head!" I said much more loudly so that he had no choice but to open his eyes.

"Thanks babe, your too good to me" Ben half propped himself up on the cushions and reached for his glasses on the bedside table and gabbed the paper bag of me and pulled out a Danish pastry.

"I need to call at the hospital this morning but I should be able to come back over later." Ben said almost covering me in bits of half chewed pastry.

"That's okay, I need to get some groceries and then do some work so later will be good."

When Ben was finally ready I walked outside with him and as soon as I stepped onto the sidewalk I saw him again – My bronze haired stalker!

I stood still staring at him as he stared back at me, I even found myself blinking several times in the hope that this weirdo would disappear but he didn't.

"What's that guy's problem?" Ben quizzed.

"W-what, I mean, you can see him?" I was almost surprised.

"Well I have got my glasses on" he laughed while pointing at the glasses he was wearing "I'm not that blind you know!"

"No course not..."

Ben took me in his arms and kissed my lips softly "I'll be round later but I'll let you get on with some work first so I won't rush. Maybe we should just get take out for dinner tonight, what do you think?"

"Yeah sure sounds good" I replied before waving him off. As soon as Ben had driven off I looked back down the street to where the stranger had been standing and once again he had disappeared and I felt a cold shudder and suddenly very uneasy but at least I knew I wasn't hallucinating – although in a strange kind of way I wish I was.

The rest of the day went by quite uneventful mainly in a blur of coffee and work but in many ways I liked my simple uncomplicated life and I felt angry towards this dark sunglass wearing guy for almost shaking things up! Not that he had directly affected my life but he had for period made me think I was going crazy and the way he constantly kept turning up out the blue was quite unnerving and even more so being almost outside my apartment. I made a mental note to ensure my door remained locked at all times I couldn't take any chances especially not in this day and age!

I glanced at the clock and it was only 2 o'clock in the afternoon and needing a break I decided to head out to the park and do some reading only I decided to stay around more people this time, so instead of sitting under my favourite tree I chose a picnic bench. My reason being that if I am being stalked then it would be better to stay in full view of everyone!

I had just started reading and was trying to concentrate hard on the story when some began speaking to me.

"huh? Sorry?" And there he was my mystery stalker.

"I said do you mind if I sit with you." His voice was much softer than I would have thought it would be, hypnotic almost and very soothing.

"No sure" I replied and moved my book in front of my face as I continued reading.

"I would never have had you down as reading Tolken." The stranger chuckled and I felt rather annoyed as I lowered my book to the table.

"And what exactly would you have had me down to read instead?" I knew my voice sounded quite sharp but I didn't care.

"Well I thought maybe Jane Austen or something similar"

"Ugh! How insulting! I am most definitely not interested in reading about weak heroine martyr figures it's probably the dullest thing you could ever wish on anybody!" He smiled at me and I felt my heart skip a beat.

"So you don't like reading Austen but you will read about Hobbits, Orcs and Wizards?" He was obviously amused.

"Well at least they have some personality!" I snapped.

"Ahh I see I have offended you and I am sorry Bella"

"What did you say? Bella? I think you must have mistaken me for somebody else I'm Cara not Bella." I suddenly realised that is why this stranger must have been following me he had thought I was somebody else – somebody he knew. He wasn't stalking me after all! Ha!

I couldn't see his eyes but the expression on his face became unreadable before quickly regaining his composure.

"Forgive me, I apologise for the intrusion I will leave you to your reading. Nice to meet you...Cara"

He walked off at a quick pace and was soon out of sight while I was left completely baffled with the meeting that had just occurred.

I wondered if now that he knew I wasn't who he thought if that would be the last I would see of him?


	6. Chupacabra

Chapter 5

Chupacabra

I usually had the luxury of working from home it was only once or maybe twice a week if I was completely unlucky that I got called into the office by my boss, I didn't particularly like him too much. The thing with George Davies is that he doesn't understand my way of working and he tends not to like what he doesn't understand, although he can never complain about the end results seeing as though I am his senior journalist on the North Kitsap Journal.

I strode confidently to George's door as his PA waved me on; I knocked lightly and went in. George was sat behind his desk with his laptop open and lined up were his collection of every other gadget available – many of which did exactly the same as the next one but still he displayed them like trophies in his office.

"Ah at last, Lacey!" He always addressed his journalists by their surnames and it made me cringe every time he did it.

"Hello Sir, so what's the new story you want me to work on?"

"Yes, yes well it's the killings of course, big news big news!" he had stood up and was pacing around his office with his hands flying in the air to emphasize the 'big'.

"I thought the Herald was covering all the major news?" I asked

"Well yes that's usually the case of course especially as the first incidents were in Kingston but they seem to be moving closer to our front door now." I stared back at him blankly. "Are you a reporter or what? Have you not heard? The young Fisher boy was found down by the harbour the early hours of this morning, still on his boat the poor mite. Whoever it was must have got him as he moored up, his poor parents are hysterical god knows how they will cope, he was their only son you know, good looking boy too, what was his name again?" George stared up at the ceiling trying to gain inspiration to find the boys name.

"Matty" I replied immediately "His name is, was Matty"

"Ah yes that's right little Matty Fisher, lovely boy did you know him he was about your age?"

"uhm yeah, we were friends..." I felt in complete shock and my legs began to wobble and my body suddenly felt like it hadn't had any sugar – all unsteady and shaky.

"Well I want you on the story Lacey you are the best one for the job; you need to find out what's going off especially as the police and the hospital are being a bit cagey about the whole terrible mess"

"You mean you want me to find out from Ben if he knows anything! You know I can't do that, besides he won't tell me anything either it's more than his job is worth."

"I know you can do it Lacey, now what are you waiting for? go get the story before the Herald gets it!" That was my cue to leave and I did so still dazed and unsteady.

The fresh air hit me hard and I lent heavily against the wall of the building trying to control my breathing so I didn't start to hyperventilate. Poor Matty, we had been good friends in high school; best friends even for a while. We were not as close these days but I still held a fondness of him from all the time we had spent together while growing up through all our awkward teenage stages. I smiled when I thought about the time we had kissed, not because we had liked each other in that way but we just wanted to know what it would be like seeing as though neither of us had ever kissed anybody before and we felt safe to practise on each other. George had been right though, he was a lovely boy and didn't deserve to die but I had no idea how I was going to report on a story I would hold close to my heart.

I went to the police station to get a statement but they wouldn't comment at this time all they said was 'it looks like an animal attack'. I couldn't face talking to Mr and Mrs Fisher just yet, seeing their pain would be too much for me and I'm not sure how I would hold up.

I decided that heading home was probably for the best and maybe trusty Google would hold some answers for me and even somewhere to start would be a help. If the police didn't have a clue what hope did I have – a local newspaper reporter.

My first port of call was to look over the previous reports made on the other killings nearby in the last six months but they all said exactly the same 'suspected animal attacks' or 'serial killer'. Uhm not much different then! I looked over the victims a married woman in her 40's, a drug addict – male 30's, a teenage boy and now Matty Fisher; it didn't really seem like the work of a serial killer, there didn't seem to be a pattern or anything linking the victims it just didn't make sense. What would be the point in random killings? Don't serial killers usually like to be making a statement?

I was slumped over my computer exhausted and frustrated from finding out anything new for the story when there was a knock on my apartment door. My heart started beating fast; I hadn't been expecting anyone to come round and nobody ever called round unexpectedly. The knock came again, louder this time and I slowly moved towards the door unsure whether I would actually open it or not. Adrenaline pumped round my body and I began to look round quickly for a weapon, I picked up the nearest thing to me and went up to the door more confidently.

"Cara are you in there?" A voice shouted from the other side of the door which I instantly recognised to be Ben. I unlocked the door and open it quickly and fell into his arms with relief.

"Hey good to see you too" he laughed.

"I'm sorry you got me scared, I wasn't expecting anybody and what with these strange killings...I guess my imagination went into overdrive." I smiled sheepishly as we walked back into my apartment.

"Soooo you decided to arm yourself with a...feather duster?"

I blushed wildly as I looked at the dusted in my hand.

"What were you going to do Cara? Tickle him to death?" we both laughed hard.

"I didn't think you would be round tonight though, is everything okay or did you just miss me too much?" We sat on my comfy sofa, sinking into the deep spongy cushions.

"I've just had a real bad day and I really needed to see you so you could brighten it for me" he smiled but it wasn't real, his eyes looked tired and his brow creased from whatever strain he was feeling.

"Do you want to talk about it, a problem shared is a problem halved after all" I encouraged.

"I can't really but I'm actually totally spooked and I want you to be careful, I don't know what I would do if anything happened to you it's just so..." The words came out of his so fast I struggled to understand what he was saying.

"Hey its okay, nothing is going to happen to me."

"No! Cara you don't understand there is someone or something out there and I..."

"Is this something to do with Matty Fishers' death?"

"No, yes well kind of" he said shaking his head almost like he was having an internal battle with himself.

"Which one is it? I have never seen you like this before please tell me you are really worrying me now" I touched his arm to comfort him and he turned to face me and put his hands on my shoulders, holding me where I sat.

"Cara I had to examine Matty's body when it came in and it wasn't right"

"What wasn't right?" I felt truly scared of what he might tell me.

"There were bite marks on his arms and that was the only evidence that he was attacked, no sign of a struggle or other injuries".

"Surely you can't die from bite marks unless whatever bit you were poisonous, right?" I asked

"That's just it Cara it wasn't the bite marks that killed him, it was the fact that whatever bit him also drained him of every ounce of blood in his body! He was completely dry! I have never seen anything like this in my life and they definitely don't teach you this stuff at med school!" he placed his head in his hands with his elbows resting on his knees.

"Whatever bit him, did it may be severe an artery or something, did he just bleed to death?" I was hoping to make some sense out of what he was telling me.

"Do you not think I checked that?" Ben snapped "There was no blood anywhere not on the floor or on the boat, on his body or in his body! Whatever bit him also drank him!" I stared at him in disbelief; he never spoke to me like that.

"Look I shouldn't have come, I just need to go and clear my head for a bit like I said I have had a really bad day" He got up and walked over to the door and opened it without looking back and I think I heard him say 'sorry' as the door clicked shut behind him.

I'm not sure how long I sat there for but dusk had fallen by the time I felt able to move, I had sat mulling things over for a while, everything that Ben had told me and the way he had spoken to me and then left. I had half expected him to ring me or at least send me a message to say sorry and then I would have asked him to come back to my place and we would fall into each other's arms and everything would be okay but he didn't. So we didn't.

I decided that the internet was needed again because despite everything Ben had given me some vital information for my story and I still had a job to do.

I sat looking at the search engine for a while wondering what I should type in and felt foolish as I typed 'blood drinker' and was even more surprised to find 250,000 results come back.

I began sifting through the endless websites relating to vampires and people believing they are vampires. Ridiculous! I had nearly given up hope of finding anything when something caught my eye; it was an old news story so I clicked the link. It was a report on some farmer finding his animals dead and completely drained of blood the suspected creature responsible was called _Chupacabra._ Wanting to find out more I typed in Chupacabra into the search engine.

"_Though some argue that the chupacabras may be real creatures, mainstream scientists and experts generally contend that the chupacabra is a legendary creature, or a type of urban legend. It is supposedly a heavy creature, about the size of a small bear with a row of spines reaching from the neck to the base of the tail._

_The legend of cipi chupacabra began approximately in 1987, when Puerto Rican newspapers El Vocero and El Nuevo Dia began reporting the killings of many different types of animals, such as birds, horses, and, goats. However, it is predated by El Vampiro de Moca (The Vampire of Moca), a creature blamed for similar killings that occurred in the large town of Moca in the 1970s. While at first it was suspected that the killings were done randomly by some members of a satanic cult, eventually these killings spread around the island, and many farms reported loss of animal life. The killings had one pattern in common: Each of the animals found dead had two punctured holes around its neck."_

I continued to search out any information I could find about this creaturebut it looked like it only seemed to kill animals, no reports of any human deaths caused by this thing except around 50 years ago in a small town called Forks when some hikers went missing and it was reported as bear attacks but some believed it was the cause of Chupacabra although nothing was ever proven.

I began to mull over the idea of a trip to Forks, it wasn't far and I might be able to talk to some of the locals about what happened to the hikers as I'm sure somebody will remember. This could actually turn into a good story after all especially if I could make the link that the police were missing.


End file.
